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(No Model.) 2 SheeIs-Sheet 1. J. A. & I. B. COOK.

WIRING SWITCH BOARDS.

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WIRING SWITCH BOARDS.

No. 385,846, Patented Jul 10, 1888.

c J. u ra 36% e vamf $2 lllNlTED STATES PATENT O FFICE,

JAMES A. COOK, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, AND FRANK. B. COOK, OF TOLEDO,

OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE \i ESlER-N ILLINOIS.

SPIJCIPICATION forming part of Letters Application lilcd July 15, 13.17.

To wZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES A. Cook, of Detroit, in the State of Michigan, and FRANK. l3. Coon, of Toledo, in the State of Ohio, have made certain new and useful Improvementsin Wiring Multiple Switch-Boards of a Tclephone-Exchange, of which the l'ollowing is a lull, clear, concise, and exact description, rel"- erence being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

in multiple switch-board systems of telephoneexchangcs it has been common to make the connections with the spring-jack switches from the rear of the boards. As to the state 01' the art prior to our invention, reference is made to Letters Patent No. 367,70, granted John A. Scely, August 2, 1887, l'orcable-rack lor switchboards.

Our invention consists in the provision for supporting the cables so that they may be carried directly from one section to another of the switch-hoard and disposed in horizontal layers in a compact and convenient manner. The cables are preferably supported upon pins inserted horizontally from the rear of the boards, the pins being preferably provided with heads for keeping the cables from falling off. The pins, as shown more clearly in Figure 4-, may each consist of a tube through which a screw is inserted into the uprights of the frame, a washer being; preferably placed under the head of the screw.

Our invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a sin gle layer of cables at the rear of two multiple switchboards. 2 is a plan view of three spring-jack switches and their connections with the wires of a cable. Fig. 3 isa similar view of two spring-jacks, showing the connections with the wires of their cables, the connecting-wires passing over one cable of a layer of cables. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional View showing four strips of spring-jack switches,and the cables supported at their rear,and the connections between one of said spring-jacks and the wires of one of the cables.

Referring now to Fig. 1, a and Z) are two mul- GAR S Patent lilo. 385,846, dated July 10,1888.

tiple switch-boards placed end to end. These switch-boards are duplicates the one of the other. Any number of duplicates may be arrangcd end to end in the same exchange.

These switchboards each consist of live divisions, l 2 S l- 5 and l 2 3 l 5, as shown in Fig. l. The springs and contacts of the spring jack switches are usually mount-ed on rubber frames or strips, each strip usually containing twenty springgjacks, and being about a foot long and from an inch to three-fourths of an inch in thickness, as illustrated in Figs. 2, S, and i.

it will be understood that in multiple.

switc.l1-board systems each line provided 6 ing strips on each of the boards ofthe exchange.

It has been common to make up the cables so that each will contain enough wires to make the connections with the spring jacks of twenty lines-that is to say, each cable usually contains forty wires, twenty being used for So the regular telephone-line circuits, and twenty for the test-wires, since each line requires a separate test-wire. 4

As shown in i-,wire c of cable (I is shown connected through the line spring and conlact-point of switch 0. Thetest-wirefof said line is shown connected with the test-piece of said spring-jack c. As shown in Fig. 2, three spring-jack switches of a strip are thus shown connected vith dillercnt wires of cable (1. In

Fig. 3 the connection between cable 9 and its strip ofspring-jacks is shown passing over cable d. -Ve will thus consider the spring-jacks shown in Fig. 2 as those ot'a division 5 of one of the switch-boards, and the spring 'acks shown 5 in Fig. 3 we will consider as those of a division l of one of the switch-boards.

\Ve preferably make the connections between the strips ot'spring-jacks and the cables before the strips are placed in the switch Thus one set of twenty lines 70 board. After the connections are made we preferably tie the wires together with strong yarn, as indicated at h, Figs. 2 and 3. In this manner the cable is made to retain its form at the rear of the strips with which connections are made. The connections between the cable (I, nearest the springjacks, are shorter than the connections between the second cable 9 and itsdspringjacks, as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, an

In case there were only four divisions in each switchboard only four cables would be required in each horizontal layer, and in general it will be understood that the cables in each layer will correspond in number to the vertical divisions in each switch-board. These cables are supported on brackets or pins '5, which are screw-pointed, as shown in Fig. 4, in order that they may be readily removed. A screwcap, j, forms the head of the pin. A sleeve, K, is shown on the pin, which is large enough to revolve when the cable is drawn over it. A washer may also be placed in the rear of the screw-cap to retain the cables on the pin or support.

In order to remove any cable, it is only necessary to take out a sufficient number of pins to afford the required space. Thus, suppose it should be desired to remove cable 1, as shown in Fig. 1. The pins immediately un der the layer to which cable 9 belongs would be removed and, if necessary, the pins under the next layer below. In this manner sufficient space would be afforded for removing said cable 9, with the strips of spring-jack switches to which the wires of said cable are connected in sections.

By our system of wiring the least possible amount of cable is required, and the switchconnections are made readily accessible at the rear of the board.

It is evident that the manner of supporting the cable might be varied indifferent ways that would readily be suggested to those skilled in the art, and we therefore do not limit our invention to the specific mechanism illustrated and described.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with two or more multiple switch-boards having vertical divisions, of spring-jack switches and cables provided with wires connecting with said spring-jacks, said cables being run directly from one board to another at the rear and placed in horizontal layers, the cables in each layer corresponding to the number of said divisions of each switchboard and each cable being connected with a single strip or set of switches on each of the switch-boards.

2. In combination with the uprights of a switch -board and projecting from the rear thereof, the pins i, having the screw-capj, the sleeve K,with the cables resting thereon, sub stantially as described. I

3. The combination,with the strips ofspringjack switches arranged upon different multiple switch-boards in the same order, of telephone-lines, each connected with a difi'erent switch on each of the boards, the connections being made from the rear of the board, the wires for the connections being made up in cables extending horizontally from one board directly to another board, the cables being placed in layers, the different layers being adapted to be separated or crowded apart, whereby any cable may be removed with its attached strips of spring-jacks, substantially as described.

JAMES A. COOK. FRANK. B. COOK. \Vitnesses:

JOHN SOHUMAN,

E. I. SoULLY. 

